Paper Dolls And How to Make Them
A Book For Little Girls
- New York: Anson D. F. Randolph, 1856
Embossed purple limp card wraps with gilt title. 6 3/4" by 5". 22 pages and six of eight hand colored engraved plates. Lacks plates 3 and 5. Text block loose. Cover shows some wear with fading to the spine.
The book is widely regarded as the first American books specifically devoted to paper doll making. Earlier paper dolls were largely imported from Europe, particularly England and France. Rather than supplying only ready-made dolls, the book taught children how to create them from ordinary household materials. The anonymous narrator encourages perseverance and imagination, even reassuring children not to discard imperfect early attempts.
Details
Title
Paper Dolls And How to Make Them
Condition
Unknown
Publisher
Anson D. F. Randolph: New York
Date
1856